I Remembered did you?
by tayryn
Summary: She didn't forget. Did he?


**The idea for this one came to me while I was writing my second CC&N fic, "Remember", and even though I told myself I wouldn't cave and write this, I did. (Yeah, I am a slave to my muse. Always have been...)**

**It is an ATC for Dummy Twins, as like so many others before me, I, too, had to write one to fill in those missing five hours.**

**So, below is my little twist on events...**

**It would be helpful to read the MM for 'From Flushing With Love' I wrote: "Remember", as it has relevance here.**

~CCN~

"I'll be leaving first thing in the morning, sir."

C.C. watched Niles ascend the stairs.

"Oh my god, he's right," she said in a flat voice once he disappeared around the landing. "The best years of my life are gone, and they sucked. I've always stayed too long at the fair. Well, not this time. I have to move on." She walked over to the table in the foyer and picked up her purse, ignoring the small tape recorder lying there, and moved to the door. "Maxwell, my resignation will be on your desk in the morning."

C.C. left, pulling the inner door closed behind her, and found herself standing on the small stoop outside the Sheffield home. She felt the cool evening air hit her cheeks and realized that she had started crying.

C.C. felt like she'd been kicked in the gut as Niles' words kept repeating over and over in her head like some kind of warped mantra. Little by little, the words changed, twisting with other words he had once told her… with promises he'd made to her; the words intensifying the pain in her stomach, and worse… the pain in her heart.

Surely he hadn't forgotten, C.C. thought as she opened her purse. She unzipped the small inner pouch and pulled out a folded piece of paper. As she read the words on it, more tears slipped down her cheeks.

He couldn't have forgotten.

She hadn't.

~NCC~

Niles looked up from his packing when he heard the door to his room open. He frowned when instead of the expected Fran, it was C.C. stepping inside.

"I'm not up to going another round with you," he told her. Doing his damnedest to ignore the sudden pounding of his heart at what her presence could mean, Niles turned back to his packing, not wanting to see how utterly defeated she looked.

There was a moment of silence before C.C. finally spoke.

"I didn't forget," she said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice as she closed the door behind her.

In spite of telling himself not to, Niles turned back to look at her. "I beg your pardon."

"I didn't forget," she repeated as she held out her hand towards him, uncurling her fingers to reveal a folded piece of paper.

Niles looked down at the paper, up at her face then back down again before slowly reaching out to take it. Unable to help it, telling himself this would be the last chance he'd ever have to touch her, he allowed his fingers to caress her palm, causing her to gasp quietly, before quickly pulling away.

He unfolded the paper, and read the words written in familiar hand-writing. "Oh god…" he groaned and hung his head.

"I… I've been waiting. Waiting for the sign that it was time," C.C. paused and when she continued, it was in a whisper to ask, "Did I miss it, Niles? Or were those words you whispered in my ear that day all just part of some real big joke?"

"C.C.…"

"Everything outside that room was pretend. That's what you told me. I remembered…" her voice cracked. "Did you? Was it really just all a joke?"

Niles lifted his head at the despair he could hear in her voice, his eyes filling with tears at the lost look on her face. He stepped over to her and reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry," he told her in a rough voice. "I've been such a fool. I didn't forget. I could never forget that day, and what I told you then is still true." He cupped her face in his hands. "It was not a joke, C.C.. I meant EVERY word I said that day."

"And the proposals?"

"I meant each of those," he told her. "But I should have told you before I asked you to marry me that it was finally our time… that we'd waited long enough, and that it was time to take it out of the room."

"What about what you said to me downstairs? Niles, I've not been interested in Maxwell for quite some time now. I know I acted like…"

"I know," Niles interrupted her. "I was lashing out. I was hurt because I thought you'd forgotten." He brushed his thumbs over her cheeks. "I apologize. You didn't deserve that."

C.C. drew in a shaky breath. "I… so it wasn't me? I didn't do something wrong?"

Niles shook his head. "No, C.C., you didn't. I'm the one at fault here. I was so anxious to finally let everyone know how I truly felt about you… to bring us out of that room… that I forgot to tell the most important person in this whole equation. You, sweetheart. And, in the process, I hurt you. Please forgive me and tell me we can move past this and start again."

C.C. held his gaze for several heartbeats before she slowly leaned in and brushed a soft kiss over his lips. "I forgive you," she whispered.

Niles released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, his entire body shuddering in relief. "Thank you," he leaned his forehead against hers, still cradling her face in his hands. "I love you, C.C…."

C.C. exhaled a shaky breath as he gave voice to the words he'd whispered in her ear almost two years ago. "And, I love you."

"Do you mean it?" Niles asked as he lifted his head to meet and search her eyes.

C.C. gave him an almost shy smile. "Yes." She reached up to cup his cheek. "I love you, Niles," she told him again, and watched as a large smile spread across his face; the pain in his eyes giving way to pure joy.

"…C.C.…" he brought his mouth to hers, pressing a light kiss to her lips. "My C.C.…" Niles murmured as he kissed her again. His mouth moved over hers in a series of soft, breathy kisses, and he whispered her name between each meeting of their lips.

C.C.'s eyes welled with tears.

Only once before had she been kissed with such gentleness… with such tenderness, and that had been with the very same man who was kissing her now; when he'd pulled her into the guest washroom and promised her a future together.

She whimpered when he changed the nature of his kiss… the barely there touches growing firmer, lingering longer. His tongue flicked out to taste her lips until finally, he covered her mouth with his in a deep hungry kiss; his tongue pushing past her lips to meet and tangle with her own.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Niles' mouth when C.C.'s hand on his cheek slid into his hair and held him to her as she responded fully to the kiss. Her other hand found purchase at his waist, her fingers fisting in his shirt to pull him closer. Niles went willingly, pushing her back against his door, pressing his body hard against hers.

"I want to make love with you," Niles pulled his mouth from hers to whisper against her lips.

C.C. gazed at him through lidded eyes. Her body hummed with arousal as her heart swelled with love for this man. "I want to make love with you, too."

"I want you, C.C.." He slid his hand into her hair as he began to trail his lips along her jaw. "I need you so much," he murmured huskily in her ear. "You will know nothing but pleasure, I promise you."

C.C. moaned and arched into him as he caught her mouth, once again, in an ardent kiss. She felt his hands grasp her waist, and then she was aware of him slowly walking them the few feet to his bed. When they reached the side of the bed, to her surprise, Niles did not just tumble them down onto it.

"I told you," Niles answered the silent question in her wide eyes as his fingers began to work on the buttons of her jacket. "I want to make love with you, C.C.. This is more than just sex to me. Although…" a wicked grin filled his face as he suddenly grabbed her hips and pulled her hard against him. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to some good old-fashioned, and no doubt kinky, sex with you also."

C.C. laughed, her eyes dancing with merriment, even as she moaned at the feel of him, hard and throbbing, against her. "I'm glad to hear it, Butler Boy."

Niles chuckled then leaned in and gave her a quick kiss before returning to the task of undressing her, releasing the final button on her jacket. He eased it off her shoulders and down her arms then tossed it onto the nearby chair; her sleeveless black top following quickly behind.

"Oh, I like this," Niles told her, his eyes riveted on her black lace encased breasts. "I've always had a feeling you wore something this sexy under all those business suits."

"Is that so?" C.C. grinned.

"Oh yes," he replied as he reached out to trace the edge of her bra. "I can't even begin to tell you how often I've fantasized about it."

C.C.'s smile grew even as the amusement in her eyes faded, giving way to the desire coursing through her body as Niles leaned in to place light kisses to the upper swell of her breasts. "So soft…" she heard him murmur before he knelt before her.

He helped her out of her shoes, and then quickly removed her pants.

Niles groaned and sat back on his haunches.

Standing before him in only her matching black lace bra and panties, C.C. was a vision. He swallowed hard and felt his arousal grow as he took in the sight of her, his eyes travelling up over her pale porcelain skin. When his eyes reached her face, he saw that she was biting her lower lip; her eyes filled with uncertainty. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides, and Niles knew she was fighting the urge to cover herself.

He also knew the apprehension and uncertainty he saw in her eyes was his doing. Too many years of teasing her about her weight and looks, and he sought to quell her fears. "You are beautiful, C.C.." Niles told her in a quiet but firm voice so that there would be no doubting his sincerity. "My dreams have not done you justice."

"You've dreamed about me?" She asked in a quiet voice. "Like this?"

"Oh yes," he nodded as he trailed his hands up along her smooth legs. "Every night for too many years to count I have dreamt of you." His fingers danced over the backs of her thighs. "I've dreamt of loving you… of making love to you." Niles placed his hands on her hips, rose up on his knees and buried his face in the soft roundness of her belly. "I've dreamt of spending the rest of my life with you, C.C.…"

"Oh, Niles…" her voice was thick with emotion as he began to rain tiny kisses over her stomach, her fingers combing through his hair. She moaned when his hands glided up her sides to cup her breasts, his thumbs teasing her already hard nipples through the lace. Wanting to feel his hands on her without any barrier, C.C. reached behind her and undid her bra.

Niles smiled up at her and removed the garment, tossing it back over his shoulder before returning his hands to the now bare mounds in front of him. C.C. covered his hands with her own and arched into his touch, a soft whimper escaping her when his fingers teased her nipples; tugging and pulling on the tips, making them impossibly harder.

His hands still on her breasts, he began to drop light, nipping kisses to her stomach, smiling when she giggled softly at his tongue dipping into her belly button, and slowly moved lower. He pressed his lips to her lace-covered centre and then groaned when he realized he could smell her arousal. In that moment, Niles was filled with a fierce desire to taste her… to know her flavour on his tongue.

"C.C.…" Niles looked up at her, and his hands dropped from her chest to her hips, his fingers catching in the lace band of her panties. "I want to see all of you."

Swallowing, C.C. nodded and, as she held his eyes, he slowly lowered her panties. He helped her step out of them, and tossed them over with her other clothes, his eyes never once leaving hers. C.C. watched him close his eyes and inhale deeply, and felt her body flush, knowing Niles could smell how turned on she was. The low moan of appreciation deep in his throat sent another surge of moisture to her core.

At her soft whisper of his name, Niles opened his eyes. He held her gaze for another beat then lowered it. "My baby is a blonde…" he murmured, his eyes on the glistening blonde curls at the apex of her thighs.

"Did you really doubt it?" C.C. asked in an amused voice.

"No," he replied then gave her an almost bashful smile. "Well… not really. I will admit to being a little curious if it was true or not."

"Just a little?"

The smile on his face gave way to a leer, and C.C. laughed and reached out to run her fingers through his hair. "Would it have made any difference?"

"No," he answered immediately, looking up at her. "I fell in love with you, C.C., not your hair colour. I would love you even if you really were a brunette."

The honesty in his answer brought tears to her eyes. Her fingers skimmed along his temple to his cheek. "I love you, Niles."

"I love you, too," Niles told her as he reached out and lightly traced his finger down between her swollen folds. "So wet…" he said in a low voice as he dipped the tip of his finger inside her before dragging it back up to lightly circle her clit.

"Oh god…" C.C. moaned, watching as he brought his now wet finger to his mouth and licked it suggestively.

Niles groaned as he sucked and licked her juices from his finger. She was glorious, better than any wine he'd ever tasted, and he thirsted for more; knowing in that moment that he would never get enough of her. He grasped her hips and urged her down onto his bed then shifted so that he was kneeling between her legs.

Leaning back on her elbows, C.C.'s breath caught in her throat as Niles laid his hands on her thighs and eased them apart. She saw his already dark eyes grow even darker as he focused on her swelling sex. She gasped when he wrapped his right arm around her left thigh and eased her leg over his shoulder, his fingers opening her to his gaze before he lowered his head and covered her with his mouth.

"…Niles… mmm…"

Niles thrust his tongue into her; over and over, in and out, and then up to suck at her clit before pushing back into her yet again. He ate her like a man starving, coaxing her juices to flow freely into his mouth, moaning happily as they coated his tongue. His earlier taste of her had only whet his appetite for more, and as he continued to work his tongue against her, Niles realized, once again, that he would never get enough of her.

"Niles…" C.C. gasped his name as she bowed beneath him, lifting and pressing her sex against his face and his wonderfully talented mouth.

Niles smiled against her as he took her clit between his lips and pressed two long fingers inside her. At her sharp intake of breath, he began to move his fingers in and out of her slick sheath.

"Oh yes!" C.C. hissed when he found that particular spot within her, and curled his fingers against it. "Oh god yes, Niles! There… right there!" She bucked under him as he stroked the sensitive little knot inside her over and over.

"Yeah, baby…" Niles encouraged her, laving her clit with his tongue then sucking hard on the bundle of nerves in time with the stroking of his fingers. He could feel her inner walls quivering and drove the long digits faster into her. "Come, C.C.…"

C.C. gripped the blanket beneath her tightly with one hand, her knuckles turning white; the other hand clutched at his head, her grip in Niles' hair bordering on painful as she held him against her. She writhed under the masterful stroke of his tongue and fingers, the pleasure almost more than she could bear. "Niles… oh… I'm so close…"

"I know, baby…" Niles encouraged in between licks. "Come for me."

"I… I… oh god, Niles…" C.C. cried out as she reached out to grab one of his pillows, pulling it over her face just in time to muffle her scream as she came hard; waves of pleasure coursing through her body as her thighs clamped around Niles' head.

Niles growled happily as C.C.'s juices gushed around his fingers. He pulled them out of her and stabbed his tongue into her, lapping and consuming her cream with relish until he'd quenched his thirst… at least temporarily.

Pushing the pillow away from her face, C.C. gasped for breath, aware that Niles had not stopped his attentions; his tongue continuing to lick and stroke her sensitive flesh. She moaned as another small wave of sensation rolled over her. "Niles…" she tugged on his hair. "Niles… no more…"

With a final, deep kiss to her quivering flesh, Niles climbed to his feet and began to remove his clothes. He smirked as C.C. shifted up on the bed to recline against the pillows and watched him strip. "Enjoying the show?"

"As a matter of fact, I am." C.C. smirked back, her eyes bright with appreciation as his body was finally revealed to her. She'd known for some time that the suits he wore hid a body that was, in all actuality, quite fit. He wasn't bulging with muscles but he was tone and fairly muscular, and seeing him like this… naked and hard for her… sent an intense surge of want through her to centre between her legs.

Niles watched the lust build in C.C.'s eyes as he climbed onto the bed, and stretched out beside her. He smiled down at her and cupped her cheek, gently rubbing his thumb over her lips before leaning down to give her a soft kiss.

C.C. cupped the back of his head to hold his mouth to hers and deepened the kiss; moaning at the taste of herself on his tongue. Her moan turned into a gasp when he cupped her breast and began to knead the full mound. "I want you…"

His eyes dark with desire, Niles looked down at her and smiled. "Patience, baby, I have waited too long to be with you to rush. I want to know every inch of you," he lowered his head to take her nipple in his mouth.

"Niles…" C.C. whimpered as he swirled his tongue around the berried tip, his hand continuing to massage her other breast. "Niles, please…"

"Sssh… just lay back and enjoy," Niles told her as he rose up to brush his mouth over hers before ducking down to take her nipple back into his mouth. "I promise you, sweetheart, you will know nothing but the most exquisite pleasure," he murmured his earlier promise again around the hard point.

C.C. drew in a shaky breath as Niles' mouth and tongue worked one luscious mound… sucking, nipping, teasing her nipple mercilessly; his hand worked the other… kneading, squeezing, teasing the full orb until C.C. was crying out his name in pure pleasure as a small but intense orgasm moved through her body.

Niles grinned as he moved his lips lower to nibble at the underside of her breast. "Mmm… I love your breasts. I love the taste of you… the scent of you," he told her kissing his way over to her other breast, pulling her nipple into his mouth to suckle it as he had the other one. "I will never get enough of you."

Needing to touch him, C.C. slipped her hand into his hair, loving the thick luxurious feel of it between her fingers. Her other hand trailed down his back until she was clutching at his side. "You feel good…"

Niles released her breast and raised his head to smile down at her. "So do you," he replied, circling her breasts with his fingers.

"I want to feel more of you," she told him when he resisted her attempt to pull him on top of her. "Niles… I want you on top of me... inside me."

"Not yet, sweetheart… I'm not finished touching you," Niles replied, cupping her breast once again and lowering his head to suck her nipple into the hot cavern of his mouth.

"Niles… Niles, please… I can't wait… I need you inside me… now!" C.C. grasped his hand, pulled it from her breast and drew it down between her legs. "I am so ready for you."

"God, C.C.…" he groaned as his fingers combed through the damp curls. He slipped a long digit between her swollen folds. She'd grown even wetter as he'd worshipped her breasts, and the feel of her moisture flooding her palm made his cock surge in anticipation. "You're so wet…

"Told you!" C.C. gasped as he stroked her sensitive flesh. "…Niles…" she begged breathlessly even as she thrust against his hand, clenching around his fingers. "Please…"

Niles released her breast and nodded. "No more waiting…"

"Oh, thank you…" C.C. exhaled.

Niles removed his hand and brought his damp fingers up to paint her lips with her juices. He bent and covered her mouth with his, sweeping his tongue over her lips; moaning at the taste of her before he pushed his tongue into her mouth. Kissing her voraciously, Niles shifted and covered her body with his.

C.C. drew her legs up on either side of him, opening herself to him as he settled his hips in the cradle of her thighs; nestling his aching member between her swollen folds. As they continued to kiss, C.C. could feel Niles' hands glide slowly up and down her sides from breasts to thighs, the soft touch fanning the embers of her desire.

Niles broke off the kiss and buried his face in her neck as C.C. began to gently rock beneath him; the friction against his throbbing shaft almost too much. At the quiet utterance of his name, he lifted his head to meet her gaze.

"Niles…" C.C. whispered his name. "Be with me now…"

Niles gazed down at C.C., her need and desire more than evident in her bright blue eyes. He nodded slowly and pushed himself up onto his arms, grasping his cock, already wet with C.C.'s juices and brought the broad head to her waiting entrance. Very aware that it had been some time for both of them, Niles held her gaze as he slowly began to press his length inside her.

A softly gasped "Niles!" escaped C.C.'s lips as Niles continued to fill her, inch by pulsing inch, until he was seated fully inside her. She clutched at his hips, the pressure from Niles' girth overwhelming her senses beyond anything she'd ever felt.

Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked them away as Niles dropped to his elbows and threaded his fingers through her tousled blonde hair, cradling her head tenderly then asked in a quiet voice. "Are you okay?"

Unable to find her voice, C.C. merely nodded. Never in her life had she felt so utterly possessed. It wasn't merely a physical possession… it was an emotional one. The tears returned just as she found her voice. "I love you…"

"I love you, too." Niles echoed as he brushed his lips over hers, blinking back his own tears. "I have waited so long to love you this way, C.C.… to make love to you… to make you mine…"

C.C. cupped his cheek. "I am yours, Niles. I have always been yours." She hadn't realized until she said it, just how true those words were. With that realization, fresh tears sprang to her eyes. "So much wasted time…"

"Ssh…" Niles shook his head. "No regrets about the past, C.C.. Concentrate on the here and now," he rocked his hips against hers. "Just think about us and the future we are going to have together."

C.C. nodded. "Together…" she echoed on a whisper with a teary smile as deep in her heart, C.C. knew that she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with him. She also knew, that if Niles were to ask her to marry him at this very moment, she would say yes without any hesitation.

She slid her hand up into his hair and drew his head down as she lifted hers, capturing his mouth in a deep kiss. She poured everything she felt… everything she was… into the kiss, wanting him to know, to never doubt her love for him; to never doubt that she was his… mind, heart, body and soul… forever.

Niles felt his heart skip a beat as C.C. kissed him so thoroughly. He knew what she was doing… what she was telling him with her kiss… and felt the rest of the world fall away until only the two of them remained. He returned her fervent kiss as she gave it, responding to her with the same promises; giving all of himself to her.

Their bodies began to rock against each other, moving in a gentle rhythm as they slowly eased out of their kiss. Their eyes locked, tender smiles gracing their faces. In spite of the arousal running rampant throughout their bodies… neither one was ready to rush to completion; enjoying the simple steady pleasure their slow pace provided.

"Mmm… you feel good," C.C. hummed as she ran her hands down his back to his rear, squeezing the firm cheeks before trailing her hands back up, her fingers dancing over his spine, to his shoulders.

"So do you," Niles told her, his left hand traveling along her side. He smoothed it over the curve of her ass and up her thigh to clasp behind her knee, drawing her leg higher and pushing deeper inside her.

"Oh yes…" C.C. groaned and arched beneath him. She lifted her hips into his gentle thrusts, moaning again. He felt delicious as he moved in and out of her, languidly withdrawing then sinking back inside her; circling his hips against hers as they shared deep, loving kisses.

She'd never had a lover who'd taken his time with her the way Niles was. Never had a lover truly care enough to put her pleasure above his own. But, she finally admitted to herself, she'd never really been made love to. Yes, she'd had sex… lots of sex… but she had never truly made love to a man… or had him make love to her.

Niles was making love to her.

He'd already told her that this was more than just sex for him, and she could see it in the way he looked at her… the way he touched her, and the way his body moved within hers, that it was his heart in control, not his body. It was his heart that was guiding the passion and desire that threatened to rush away with them.

Niles was making love to her… with her.

And, C.C. acknowledged, she was making love with him. This was more than just sex for her as well. Although, she admitted as a small grin suddenly played at the corners of her lips, she was looking forward to some good old-fashioned kinky sex, as he'd put it earlier, with him as well. And C.C. knew it would be just as fulfilling as making love to him was turning out to be.

But, as much as she was loving the leisurely pace of their love-making, of being able to feel every inch of him as he moved within her, C.C. realized that slow and steady was no longer enough.

She needed more.

She needed him.

C.C. broke off their kiss and grinned up at him as she wrapped her legs around him. Niles grinned back and without a word, rose up on his arms.

Slow and steady was no longer enough for him either.

He needed more.

He needed her.

"Oh yes!" C.C. cried out softly as Niles began to move faster. "Just like that," she told him as he drove his length into her… hard and fast.

God it felt so good.

He felt so good.

She suddenly found she couldn't touch him enough and her hands began to map the contours of his chest. Her fingers combed through the soft hair dusting his chest, one hand following the reddish-blonde trail lower to caress his belly. She lightly scratched at the soft skin, moaning her approval when he thrust harder.

"C.C.…" he growled when she clenched around him and did his damndest not to come right then and there like an inexperienced schoolboy. He closed his eyes when he felt her nails against his lower belly again. "C.C.…" he groaned her name again. "Baby, you keep that up and this is going to end sooner than either one of us wants."

C.C. smirked. "What? This?" She raked her nails lightly over his belly. "Or this?" She asked, tightening her inner muscles.

"Both." Niles ground his pelvis against hers in response.

C.C. chuckled softly, clenching around him again.

"You're an evil woman, Babcock."

"But you love me anyway."

"Yes, I do." He replied, dipping down to give her a quick kiss. "More than life itself."

"Mmm…" C.C. sighed happily and trailed her hands up his sides, curling under his arms to grasp his shoulders and draw him back down to her. "No more holding back," C.C. told him then caught his mouth in a hungry kiss.

His hips continued to piston against hers, driving his shaft deeper into her, over and over; the tension and pleasure building until it was almost overwhelming.

"C.C.…" Niles' voice was rough as he pulled his mouth from hers. She was so hot… so tight… so wet… and he could feel his orgasm creeping up fast on him. "Baby, I'm not going to last too much longer…"

"Me either…" C.C. replied, pulling him harder into her with her legs. Her nails bit into his shoulder. "Make us come, Niles…"

"…yes…" Niles growled when she lifted her head to nip at his shoulder. He drove his cock into her harder and faster; circling and grinding his pelvis against hers with every thrust.

"Mmm… oh yes… oh, Niles…" C.C. panted as she felt the tension building with every stroke. "Baby, please…"

Niles groaned and increased the force of his strokes, moving in and out of her willing body with a fierce determination until he was groaning and panting for breath. All of a sudden, he slammed into her and held still, calling out her name as he came; his juices leaving his body in hot jets.

C.C. inhaled sharply then bit Niles' shoulder to keep from screaming his name as she came; his release triggering hers. Her body seized around his, arms and legs clutching him tight to her as she bucked and writhed beneath him with the pulses of her orgasm.

"C.C.…" Niles gasped for breath and sank into her embrace, burying his face in her neck. "My C.C.…" he murmured as he peppered her shoulder with soft kisses.

"And I will always be yours," C.C. nuzzled his temple, humming in satisfaction as she sought to catch her breath. She ran her hands up and down his back, damp with perspiration, and lowered her legs to loosely entwine with his. "Oh, Niles… that was… wonderful."

Niles raised his head, smiled down at her and felt his heart skip a beat. He knew it was because he was now looking at her through a lover's eyes, but in this moment, C.C. looked even more beautiful to him than she ever had. And, she'd always been beautiful to him, even when he'd said otherwise.

Her blonde hair was tousled and fanned over his pillow. She was flushed from their love-making, her lips swollen from his kisses but it was her eyes that drew him in. Her eyes were filled with so much love… so much tenderness… so much joy. The blue depths no longer held that haunted, lost look she'd had when she'd come into his room earlier. They were bright and, once again, filled with the fire he'd grown to love over the years.

"It was wonderful," he agreed then dropped his head down to press an almost chaste kiss to her lips. "You are wonderful."

C.C. smiled as she cupped the back of his head. "So are you," she whispered and drew him back down for another kiss.

Soft, breathy kisses were exchanged. The barely there touches of lips and tongues, like Niles had bestowed on her earlier, that had C.C.'s heart racing away to join with his.

Twin moans sounded in the otherwise quiet room as the kiss suddenly changed, growing hungry and passionate. They kissed with an almost desperate need, as if their very lives depended on the oral connection, and the feral dance of their lips and tongues.

After several minutes, the heated exchange began to taper off into gentle, loving kisses once again.

"Damn, you can kiss…" C.C. sighed happily, a broad smile gracing her face as their mouths parted.

Niles chuckled. "So can you," he brushed his lip over hers again before moving to withdraw from the warmth of her body and roll off of her.

"No, stay…" C.C. tightened her embrace of his body. "Please."

"C.C., I'm too heavy for you," Niles told her as he tried, once more, to roll off of her.

"No, you're not," C.C. told him and continued to hold tight to him. "Niles, please, I… I want you to stay. I like feeling you all around me… feeling you still inside me. It makes me feel…" her voice trailed off and she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"What?"

"You'll think I'm silly, or worse, crazy."

"Never," Niles said, and after a few moments of silence, he nuzzled her cheek with his. "C.C., tell me…"

She opened her eyes to find him gazing down at her with an open, honest expression on his face, and she knew in that moment, that she could truly trust him with her heart. "It makes me feel safe," C.C. said quietly. "Safer than I can ever remember feeling." She watched Niles' face soften, his eyes filling with extreme tenderness. Encouraged by his response, she smiled shyly and, not quite believing she was admitting it out loud, continued, "I feel loved."

"Oh, sweetheart, you are loved." Niles told her and feathered his lips against hers. "You are loved far more than you know. And, from this day on, I swear that I will do my damndest to make sure you always feel as safe as you do in this moment."

C.C.'s eyes filled with tears and she whispered his name. "I love you so much…"

Niles smiled and kissed her again. "I love you."

Once again, they lost themselves in each other, kissing and caressing amidst soft whispers and loving smiles.

After a short time, C.C. felt Niles shift above her. "Niles…" she held tight to him.

"Ssh, baby," Niles told her softly. "I don't want to leave you," he pressed his hips firmer against hers for emphasis. "Trust me. I am very happy being right where I am." C.C. chuckled softly. "My arms are just falling asleep, so how about a compromise?"

She nodded and clenched around him, taking care to keep his semi-hard length inside her as he rolled them onto their sides and entwined their legs. He then reached over her and tugged the blanket up and around her then did the same with the blanket behind him; cocooning them in the comforter.

"Okay?"

She smiled and nodded. While she no longer had the comfort of his weight on her, his body was pressed fully against hers, still intimately joined, lying face to face and sharing the same pillow. C.C. sighed happily. She was more than okay and told him so.

"Good," he smiled.

Over the next hour, they talked quietly; sharing the parts of themselves they'd kept hidden from everyone else… the parts they'd kept hidden to keep themselves safe from heartache. As a result, the intimacy between them deepened, bringing them closer then they ever thought possible.

"I've always wondered, what does C.C. stand for?" Niles asked as he absently stroked her arm, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on her skin.

C.C. shook her head. "I'll never tell."

"Come on, you can tell me."

A thoughtful smile came to her face. "I'll tell you if you tell me your last name."

"You mean you don't know? I thought you managed my pension plan."

"I do," she replied then made a face. "But strangely enough, it's not on any of the paperwork. How did you manage that?" Niles merely smiled. "Even Maxwell won't tell me what it is, although I am beginning to think he doesn't know."

Niles laughed. "We grew up together, C.C.. My father worked for his father."

C.C. tangled her fingers in his chest hair. "So… tell me, and I'll tell you what C.C. stands for."

"That's my Babcock," he grinned. "Okay, you've got a deal, but you first."

C.C. smirked then took a deep breath. "Chastity Claire," she told him. "And now you know why I go by C.C.."

"I think it's a beautiful name."

"You're joking right?"

Niles shook his head. "Not at all."

C.C. gave him a look then shook her head. "You're crazy."

"About you, yes I am." Niles grinned at her as she laughed softly.

"Your turn," she said. "Tell me your last name."

Niles leaned closer and whispered in her ear.

"What's wrong with that?" C.C. asked when he returned his head to their pillow. "You're not ashamed of your name are you?"

"Nothing's wrong with it, and no, I'm not ashamed of it in the least," Niles answered. "I just…" he shrugged. "I simply prefer to just go by Niles."

"But what's wrong with…" his fingers against her lips stopped her.

"Why do you use C.C.?"

"Because I did not think anyone would take me seriously if I used Chastity," C.C. replied. "And, I just prefer it."

"And I prefer just plain old Niles."

C.C.'s face softened. "There is nothing plain or old about you, Niles."

Niles smiled and cupped her cheek. "Thank you, Chastity Claire."

She groaned and rolled her eyes dramatically. "I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"Don't you trust me?"

Niles suddenly found himself on his back with C.C. stretched out over him. She placed her hands on either side of his head and pushed herself up on her arms to look down at him. "Not one damn bit."

Niles could see the playful twinkle in her eyes and gave her an exaggerated pout. "Is there anything I can do to convince you to trust me?" He asked, lifting his hips gently under hers, pleased to hear her moan softly as he began to harden within her.

"Well, I don't know," C.C. hummed thoughtfully as she drew her knees up along side his hips and slowly sat up, straddling him. She circled her hips against him. "Is there anything you could do?"

Niles ran his hands up her thighs and grabbed hold of her hips. "Well, I'm sure I can…" he thrust up under her. "…come up… with something."

She hummed and clenched around him; her soft hum becoming a deep moan at the feel of him now fully erect and sheathed inside her. "Mmm… oh, I'm sure you can, too."

Niles chuckled, his eyes twinkling as he gazed up at her. He reached up and brushed her hair out of her face, tucking the strands behind her ears. "You are so beautiful," Niles told her quietly, all hint of playfulness suddenly gone from his voice. "How did I get so lucky?"

"Niles…" His name was murmured on a happy sigh, and the amused look on her face softened into one of tenderness. "I'm the lucky one," she laid her hands on his chest; sliding them up to his shoulders and lowered herself down over him. "I do trust you…" her hair fell into a curtain around their faces and she smiled, "with my name." She nuzzled her nose against his. "More importantly, I trust you with my heart."

"I promise to always keep it safe," he whispered against her lips.

"I know you will," C.C. whispered back.

They shared a sweet loving kiss, soft moans filling the room as C.C. began to rock against him.

"C.C.…"

"I know…"

C.C. pushed herself back up, straddling him fully and lifted her hands to her breasts as she slowly began to circle her hips against him. A low, decidedly, feminine moan sounded deep in her throat as she continued the deliberate movements; tantalizing him and drawing the pleasure out for both of them.

"You are such a tease," Niles growled, the sight of C.C.'s fingers playing with her own nipples. She laughed that deep throaty laugh of hers that never failed to send a surge of lust rolling through him. His cock hardened even more within her at the sound, and he gripped her hips as he thrust up hard inside her.

His sudden move threw her off balance and her hands fell to his chest.

"Sorry," he gave her a cheeky smile.

"Sure you are," she laughed again as she braced her hands against him and began to move faster on him; moving his length in and out of her body. "Oh god, Niles…" C.C. moaned. "Baby, I'm already so close."

Niles stared up at C.C. as she moved earnestly on him. "So, am I… so am I."

The vision she created – blonde hair spilling around her shoulders, white fire with silver edges that shimmered in the light; blue eyes dark with desire, her lower lip bit in concentration as she focused on the movements that were bringing them both so much pleasure – would be forever burned into his memory.

He heard her breath catch, saw her nostrils flare and he grew harder still.

"C.C.…"

She slid her hands from his chest to rest on the bed on either side of his head; stretching her body out over his and licked her lips as she increased the pace, moving rapidly up and down on him.

Niles' eyes drifted down to her luscious breasts which bounced in time with her movements, the dusky nipples hard and begging to be sucked. He lifted his head and caught one of the berried points in his mouth, suckling hard. C.C. arched into him, changing the internal angle of his touch. She moaned at the change and moved even faster, grinding her hips against him, growing more and more desperate for release.

Niles moved to her other nipple. He swirled his tongue around the tip, and felt her body tense as her breath hitched again. His eyes locked with hers, and he could see that she was poised on the edge of release as he was, yet unable to go over.

She whispered his name then pushed herself back upright on him, reaching back to grasp his thighs. She cried out when Niles moved a hand to the point of their joining and found her clit with his fingers.

"Come, C.C.…" Niles encouraged her as he suddenly sat up, grasped her hips in his hands and pulled her down hard on him, grinding his pelvic bone against her clit.

"NILES!" C.C. sobbed with relief as the exquisite agony of her orgasm finally washed over her.

As her inner muscles grabbed and clenched him tightly, Niles joined her, falling into his orgasm with a loud cry of her name, their bodies continuing to move together; each pulling everything they could from the other.

"Oh… oh god…" C.C. moaned as she sought out his lips.

They kissed breathlessly as they fell back onto the bed, their bodies still trembling in the aftermath of their release.

"Good god, woman, you're going to be the death of me," Niles gasped, pulling his mouth from hers as he dragged some much needed oxygen into his lungs.

"Mmm…" C.C. chuckled then hummed as she buried her face between his neck and shoulder, and nibbled at his skin. "But what a way to go."

Niles laughed as he hugged her to him then sighed happily as he felt her stretch her legs out along his and nestle into his embrace. He nuzzled her temple and closed his eyes.

Several minutes passed and his eyes fluttered open. He glanced over at the clock on his night table, and seeing the lateness of the hour, he turned his attention back to the woman still draped over him. "C.C.…" he called her name softly.

"Hmm?"

"Sweetheart, I need you to move."

"That had better not be a crack about my weight, Hazel." She murmured in a sleepy voice and gently bit at his shoulder.

Niles chuckled and shook his head. "It's not," he replied. "It's late. We should get under the covers and get some sleep."

"No… I'm too comfortable to move. You make a wonderful bed."

Niles smiled. "Be that as it may," he gave her backside a gentle pat. "We need to get under the blankets. It's getting chilly."

C.C. grumbled and reluctantly shifted off him, whimpering softly when she felt him slip from her body, and lay on her back. She looked up at him with drowsy eyes as he leaned over her and smiled.

"Don't move," he brushed a quick kiss to her forehead. "I'll be right back."

"I thought you wanted to get under the blankets?"

"I do," Niles said as he climbed out of the bed. "I just want to take care of something first."

C.C. watched, with undisguised appreciation, as he walked naked into his bathroom. She heard the water run for moment or two and then he was walking back towards her with a washcloth and towel. She continued to watch in silent fascination as Niles sat on the edge of the bed and, without a word; began to gently wash her, removing the evidence of their coupling from her sex and inner thighs. The tenderness, with which Niles attended to her, touched something deep inside of her and brought tears to her eyes. None of her other lovers had ever done this for her, and his doing so only made her love him more than she already did.

"Niles…" C.C. whispered his name in a voice choked with emotion, laying her hand on his as he continued to clean her.

Niles met her eyes briefly before returning to his task as he spoke in a hushed voice. "I figured you would be more comfortable."

"Thank you."

Niles smiled. When he finished drying her, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her blonde curls then stood. "I'll be right back," he said as he turned on the bedside lamp before heading back to the bathroom. He tossed the soiled cloths into the hamper and returned to find C.C. under the blankets. The sight warmed his heart.

"Aren't you coming to bed?" C.C. asked, when instead of joining her, he moved across the room to the chair where he'd thrown their clothes.

"In a moment," Niles answered as he picked up her jacket and draped it over the back of the chair before folding the rest of her clothes. He turned to her, her panties hanging off his finger. "Would you like me to wash these out for you so you can wear them in the morning?"

C.C. shook her head.

"My baby's going commando tomorrow?"

C.C. laughed at the naughty grin that crossed his face. "You're a letch."

He chuckled in response as he dropped the scrap of lace on top of now folded clothes then picked his clothes up off the floor, and tossed them onto the chair as well. "But, I am your letch." Niles said as he stepped over to the light switch on the wall near the door and turned off the lights.

"Yes you are," C.C. purred as she watched him saunter back to the bed. She let her eyes move over his still naked body, licking her lips at the sight. "All mine."

Niles smirked as he turned off the lamp and slipped into the bed. He spooned up behind her and gathered her in his arms. Niles dropped a soft kiss to her bare shoulder. "Let's get some sleep, sweetheart."

C.C. nodded as she snuggled back into his embrace. Releasing a deep, contented sigh, she closed her eyes. "Good night, Niles."

His arms tightened around her and he pressed his lips into her hair. "Sweet dreams, love."

~CCN~

Unsure of what had woken her, C.C.'s eyes snapped open. A moment of panic seized her at the unfamiliar surroundings but she calmed immediately when she felt the solid wall of Niles' chest against her back, and realized she was safely cocooned in his arms.

"C.C.?" Niles murmured sleepily, burrowing his nose into her blonde hair as he pulled her closer.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay. Why are you awake?"

"I thought I heard something," she said quietly, her hand on his hip slipping down to caress his rear. "But I guess it was just my imagination."

A sudden low grumble sounded in the room.

"Well, that wasn't my imagination," Niles chuckled, the hand on her waist slipping down to rest on her stomach as it rumbled again. He felt her skin heat as she blushed. "Did you have dinner?"

C.C. shook her head. "I haven't eaten since lunch. I was too…"

"Upset to eat," Niles finished for her, nodding against the back of her head. "I understand."

Just then another growl sounded.

C.C. giggled softly. "Sounds like I'm not the only one who's hungry."

"Apparently not," Niles replied. "How about I go fix us a light snack? Something to tide us over until breakfast?"

"Sounds good to me."

Niles nodded, and gave her shoulder a kiss before slipping out from under the blankets. He turned on the bedside lamp then made his way into the bathroom. Moments later, he reappeared wearing a pair of black pyjama bottoms and pulling on his robe.

C.C. propped herself up on her elbows to watch him as he closed and tied his robe then slipped his feet into his slippers.

"Do you want anything in particular?" He asked as he moved around the bed, heading for the door.

"Something sweet, but nothing too heavy."

"All right," he answered with a nod as he reached for the doorknob. He glanced back at her and froze.

C.C. Babcock, the woman he had been in love with for longer than he cared to admit was lying, naked, in his bed; looking more beautiful than he could ever recall seeing her.

"What?" C.C. asked when he did nothing more than stare at her for several moments. She sat up, the blankets falling to her lap unnoticed. "Niles?"

Niles shook his head then, with a low groan, walked quickly back to the bed. He knelt on the mattress, took her face in his hands and kissed her; pouring all the love and desire he held in his heart into the kiss.

C.C. moaned and brought her arms up to wrap around his waist. Her earlier desire for food forgotten, suddenly replaced by a baser, more urgent hunger, she tried to pull him down with her on the bed. "Niles…" she pleaded against his lips when he resisted her efforts.

"I love you, C.C.," Niles whispered as he rained light kisses over her face. "I love you so much. Promise me you will never doubt that."

"I promise," C.C. answered in a quiet voice. She reached up to cover his hands. "Not that I'm complaining, but what brought this on?"

Niles smiled. "Seeing you, here in my bed, all sleepy and sexy and ravishing…" he drew in a shaky breath. "I am still half convinced that I've dreamt the last few hours."

A soft smile graced her face as she held his gaze. "You're not dreaming, baby. This is very real. I am in your bed after making love with you, and I plan to be here for a very long time," she brought her hand up to cup his cheek. "Making love with you again and again…"

The smile on his face grew into a grin that matched the one growing on hers. "And again and again…"

"Exactly."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." C.C. lifted her mouth to his and gave him a soft kiss. "Now, Butler Boy… I'm hungry, so how about hauling that sexy ass of yours downstairs for that snack you promised me?"

"Right away, my witch," Niles chuckled and gave her another quick kiss then left the room as he began to hum "I'm too sexy".

C.C. shook her head, laughing softly to herself as she fell back on the bed, giving in to the urge to stretch. She released a deep sigh of contentment, feeling happier and more at peace than she could ever remember feeling.

Feeling a sudden need to empty her bladder, C.C. climbed out from under the blankets, and as she walked around the bed, she grabbed Niles' shirt off the chair and slipped it on. She pulled the collar up to her nose and inhaled, pulling the scent of his cologne deep inside her as she disappeared into the bathroom. When she returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, she'd buttoned up the shirt, leaving the top three undone, and was rolling up the sleeves.

She crawled back into the bed to wait for Niles, propping the pillows up behind her as she leaned back against the headboard. She was just about to pull the covers up over her legs when something on the floor near the door caught her eye. She scrambled out of the bed and picked it up then crawled back onto the mattress.

Leaning back against the headboard once again, with the blankets now covering her legs, C.C. unfolded the crumpled piece of paper.

She smiled as she read the words.

'_My chicken,_

_Remember._

_Your swine.'_

She hadn't forgotten.

The swung open and her smile grew as Niles sauntered in, still humming, his arms full with what appeared to be sundae toppings.

He hadn't forgotten either.

C.C.'s smile grew with every happy beat of her heart.

It was finally time.

~fin


End file.
